


The Way He Talks About You

by awareoftheconcept



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, Multi, Oblivious Derek, Oblivious Stiles, Truth Spells
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-27
Updated: 2015-11-27
Packaged: 2018-05-03 14:30:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5294753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awareoftheconcept/pseuds/awareoftheconcept
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or, the "The Five Times Derek Showed Someone He Loved Stiles, and the One Time He Told Him."</p><p>***</p><p>“I don’t know who is the one being punished here,” Lydia complained as she looked at her phone and the multitude of texts Stiles had sent over the last hour. “Me or Stiles.”</p><p>Derek rubbed his eyes and put his head down on the table, completely exhausted from the day they had had. “Believe me, if Stiles isn’t around, I am the one being punished.”</p><p>Edit: Last chapter is now up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lydia

**Author's Note:**

> This turned out to be a bit longer than I expected. If there are any mistakes, please let me know. As usual, none of these characters belong to me. Enjoy!

“Unbelievable,” Lydia muttered to herself, sifting through her phone as she tried to find Stiles’ number.

“Lydia-”

“No,” Lydia snapped. “You’re both idiots.”

Derek’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I’m not-”

“You jumped in front of a spell that wasn’t meant for you Derek! You’re an idiot!”

“He seems to be fine,” Scott said, gesturing at Derek. “At least there aren’t any warts growing in noticeable places.”

“Scott, shut up,” Lydia said. “We need to take this seriously. A spell meant for an Alpha is structured differently than one meant for anyone else. We are just lucky she didn’t know you are a True Alpha.”

“I know, I know,” Scott said. They had originally gone to see the witch to try and get her assistance with identifying some herbs that had started to grow around the Preserve. Evidently, her last visit with a Pack did not go well. “What should we do?”

Lydia held up a finger as she brought her phone to her ear. “Stiles? Meet us at Derek’s.”

***

“A truth spell!?” Stiles yelled. “Why the hell was she trying to curse Scott with a truth spell in the first place?”

“She said she was sick of deceitful Alphas trying to trick her into doing their dirty work. I guess she just wanted to make sure Scott was telling her the truth.”

“What did you do with her?” Stiles asked. Stiles was maintaining a calm tone, but Lydia could tell he was angry; not at Scott and Derek like she had been, but at himself for not being there.

“Well, after Lydia stopped yelling at her, she apologized profusely,” Scott said. “She said that the spell would eventually wear off but, with it hitting the wrong person, she didn’t know when that would be.”

“Did she at least tell you what the herbs were?”

“She said they were mint leaves,” Lydia said, throwing up her hands at the look on Stiles’ face. “I know, I know. But she was telling the truth. As an apology she gave us one of her books on herb identification. It is much more extensive than the ones we found online.”

“So what can we do about Derek?” Stiles asked. “If the witch said we would have to wait it out then I feel like we don’t have any other option.”

“Well, we need to figure out the parameters of the spell,” Lydia said. “Ask him questions to see how the spell affects him.”

“What size shoe do you wear?” Scott asked as he turned to Derek.

“Really Scott? His shoe size?” Lydia chided. “That is information that Derek would willingly give without a truth spell. We need to find questions that he wouldn’t answer truthfully under normal circumstances.”

Derek fidgeted in his seat.

“Well I don’t see you coming up with any better questions,” Scott pouted.

Lydia looked at Scott with thinly veiled frustration. She wished she could have done this on her own so Derek wouldn’t have to answer questions in front of an audience, but they had to make sure there were no other side effects.

Knowing he always lied when it came to Cora, Lydia asked, “Do wish your sister would come back to Beacon Hills and join the pack?”

Derek was quiet for a couple of seconds, until he answered quietly. “Yes.”

Lydia gave a curt nod. “I’m sorry Derek. But at least we know the spell is working. Let’s see…”

Stiles was sitting at the kitchen table on his laptop, most likely on a page detailing common truth spells. “Derek, what would happen if someone asked you a question that you didn’t know the answer to? Would you have to answer to the best of your knowledge? Or would you have to literally go find the answer?”

“I don’t know,” Derek said. He laughed immediately afterwards.

“Derek!”

“Sorry, sorry. I’m taking this seriously, Lydia, I promise,” Derek said. “I can respond with, ‘I don’t know.’”

“Do you have to respond when someone asks a question?” Stiles asked. “Like, is there a compulsion to answer?”

Derek didn’t say anything for at least 20 seconds. “No.”

“Okay, this isn’t as bad as I thought it was,” Lydia said. “That means nobody can take advantage of you in this situation,” she said with a pointed look at Stiles.

Stiles let out an offended cry. “How dare you.”

“What, we all know you would if you could,” Scott said.

“How dare you say I can’t take advantage of this situation,” Stiles said, throwing his hand over his chest, completely missing the point.

“Stiles,” both Derek and Lydia warned.

“So Derek,” Stiles said, a wicked glint in his eye. “Who is your favorite Teletubby?”

“Stiles,” Scott laughed, earning dirty looks from both Lydia and Derek this time.

“What things are you shallow about? When was the most inappropriate time you have had to fart? What do you really think of the dress Lydia wore to my dad and Melissa’s wedding? Where did you last-”

“That’s it,” Derek said, standing up from where he was sitting. “Stiles, get out of my house.”

“Wait, what?” Stiles sputtered.

“You heard me,” Derek said. “Out.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

“Until when?”

“Until I don’t have to worry about you asking me stupid questions!”

“But-”

“Out,” Derek said, pointing to the door as he walked back to his own bedroom.

“Fine,” Stiles shouted after him. “I am going to leave, but not because you told me to. I have work tomorrow and it is already midnight.”

Lydia watched Stiles grumble to himself as he packed his things and left. Scott followed him out, knowing there wasn’t much he could do to help, glancing back at Lydia and Derek with a guilty shrug.

Lydia shook her head, glad that Derek had kicked Stiles out but knowing this was just going to come back to bite her in the ass.

“You know, he won’t stop texting you until you let him come back,” Lydia said to Derek as he came back out of his room in more comfortable clothes, pointing to the vibrating phone on the table.

“I’ll just ignore him,” Derek said, doing just that as he opened one of their research textbooks.

After two hours of texting Derek and getting no reply, Stiles changed his tactic and started texting Lydia instead.

_“I don’t know who is the one being punished here,” Lydia complained as she looked at her phone and the multitude of texts Stiles had sent over the last hour. “Me or Stiles.”_

_Derek rubbed his eyes and put his head down on the table, completely exhausted from the day they had had. “Believe me, if Stiles isn’t around, I am the one being punished.”_

Lydia raised her eyebrow at Derek, but he was too tired to have recognized what he said. She knew he was telling the truth though and, after a couple moments of thought, she realized she wasn’t all that surprised.

She threw her phone across the room as it rang again, letting out a loud groan.


	2. Melissa

It had been a long day, and Melissa was looking forward to heading home. Her car had broken down a couple of days ago so Derek had offered to drive her to and from work while it was being fixed. Melissa felt terrible but Derek had told her it was no problem. It only slightly helped knowing he couldn’t lie.

As Melissa stepped into the break room to grab her purse and change out of her scrubs, she heard a few of her coworkers laughing. Curious as to what they were all so giddy about since it was seven in the morning, she poked her head around the corner.

Sitting at one of the tables, surrounded by a couple of the nurses, was Derek. She cringed a little when one of the newer nurses giggled playfully at whatever Derek had said. She was just about to step in to save him when she heard him speak up.

“Well I’m glad your date went well, Tara,” Derek said with a smile. “You were so excited when you left here yesterday.”

“You make me sound like a silly school girl,” Tara said. “And he probably thought I was too. It was the first date I have had in a while, so I was blushing the entire night.”

“Oh don’t sell yourself short,” one of the other nurses said. “He probably thought it was cute. Right, Derek?”

“Umm…” Derek questioned, confused at what exactly he was being asked.

“Don’t guys find little things like that cute?”

Melissa knew she should probably save Derek since he couldn’t lie but, as she took a step into the room, Derek started to answer.

“When you love someone, almost everything they do is considered cute,” Derek affirmed. “Even something that, on the surface, seems embarrassing.”

“Like what?” Tara asked miserably.

“You want an example?” Derek said, a slight bit of distress in his voice.

“See,” Tara said dejectedly. “You can’t think of one.”

“No, I just…” Derek hesitated, surprising Melissa as she saw a hint of a blush creep onto his face. “It is kind of… stupid and embarrassing. For me!” he quickly clarified.

“You have to tell us now,” Tara said, the rest of the nurses nodding their heads eagerly.

“Yeah, tell us all about what your mysterious significant other does that is cute!”

_‘Significant other?’_ Melissa thought to herself. _‘Derek isn’t dating anyone.’_

“Okay, fine,” Derek said with a sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. “Umm, well, they wear glasses and, for some reason, the left nose pad is tighter than the right one. It obviously doesn’t bother them but, when they take their glasses off, there is a red mark on the bridge of their nose that is just…really cute.”

Melissa quietly turned to her locker so she could change as she heard all of the nurses let out a collective ‘Aww.’ She felt bad about eavesdropping on Derek’s conversation, knowing that he wouldn’t have been so open if he had known she was there.

However, that didn’t stop Melissa from raking her brain as she tried to make a list of everyone she knows that wears glasses. But she was coming down from a very long, very stressful, twelve hour day so she quickly changed out of her scrubs, collected her purse, and grabbed Derek before anyone could ask him any more questions.

***

Two days later Melissa walked into the station with a giant bag of takeout food in her hands. She stopped short when she saw Stiles sitting at his desk. She tried to sneak past him, thinking she had succeeded until:

“Melissa,” Stiles yelled in greeting.

Melissa turned around guiltily. “Hey Stiles,” she said. “I didn’t know you were working today.”

“Clearly,” Stiles said, looking at the bag of food with amusement.

“He’s my husband,” Melissa said defensively. “I can fatten him up if I want.”

Stiles laughed. “At least let me have some of the fries,” he conceded. “And let me come over tonight to cook you guys a _real_ dinner.”

“…Deal,” she said after a long pause. She juggled the bag of food in her hands as she grabbed one of the fry containers. “So why are you here? Isn’t today one of your days off?”

“It was, but I decided to come catch up on paperwork,” Stiles said, throwing his reading glasses down as he greedily reached for the food.

The sound of the glasses hitting the table drew Melissa’s attention, reminding her of the conversation she had overheard the other morning. Curious, she looked over at Stiles, who had somehow managed to already eat half of the fries. Like she had suspected, there was a red mark on the left side of his nose.

“Have you seen Derek recently?” she asked innocently.

“No,” Stiles frowned. “He has still banned me from coming over.”

“Well, I am sure you will find a way to get back on his good side,” Melissa smiled.

Stiles nodded. “I’ll figure something out,” he said. “He can’t stay mad at me forever, right?”


	3. Sheriff

“Are you going to stay mad at him forever?” the Sheriff asked, startling Derek in the cereal aisle.

“Hello Sheriff,” Derek said a little breathless, his hand uncurling from the fist he had made. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“How long are you going to stay mad at Stiles?”

“I’m not mad at him sir,” Derek said nervously as he went back to shopping. “Stiles just has trouble understanding boundaries sometimes, and I’m not exactly in the best situation for that right now.”

The Sheriff narrowed his eyes. “Can’t you just ignore him? I thought you didn’t have to answer every question that someone asks you.”

“Yeah, well, things tend to slip out,” Derek vaguely explained, narrowing his eyes back at the Sheriff. “Why is it so important to you?”

“He has been over _every_ night this week. I normally wouldn’t mind but he insists on cooking,” he shuddered. “If I have to see any more broccoli I swear-”

Derek laughed. “So this is all about wanting to eat junk food?” Derek asked.

The Sheriff sighed. “I know it sounds petty. But all I want is one damn cheeseburger without him sending a stern look in my direction. I may be old, but my heart is working just fine.”

“Next time I see Stiles I will assure him that your heart is working just fine,” Derek said as he patted the Sheriff’s shoulder.

“How do you know?” he questioned skeptically. “Stiles won’t just take your word for it.”

“I can hear it,” Derek said, tapping his ears. “Your heart is beating at a relatively normal pace and there are no irregularities. If anything changes, I will be the first to let Stiles know.”

“Oh,” the Sheriff said.  As he pondered that new information he unconsciously followed Derek to the next aisle. “So how unique is a person’s heartbeat? If someone was having a heart attack in the middle of a crowded room would you be able to tell who it was?”

“Apart from the fact that the person would probably be clutching their chest or arm?” Derek said jokingly.

“Okay, let me rephrase it,” the Sheriff said, more interested than he thought he would be. “Can you pick someone out of a room based solely on their heartbeat?”

Derek stopped as he was reaching for a box of rice. He withdrew his hand to run it through his hair, a nervous habit of his that the Sheriff had picked up on. “Yes, it is possible. It takes a lot for someone to become that familiar with another person’s heartbeat, so it tends to only happen with loved ones,” Derek said, shifting his feet anxiously. “But once a heartbeat has been memorized, it can be heard even in a crowded room.”

The Sheriff wanted to ask more but he knew Derek was getting uncomfortable from the questioning. And even though he knew Derek didn’t have to answer, he still felt like he was taking advantage. Not wanting to leave their conversation on that note, the Sheriff pointed to Derek’s basket. “Do you have any perishables in there?”

“No,” Derek said, looking confused.

“Good,” the Sheriff said. “Let’s go grab dinner.”

***

“Why did you have to involve me again?” the Sheriff shouted over the loud club music.

“You told us that anytime we were going to be using someone as bait, you would like to be notified,” Scott shouted back. “It’s not my fault you felt the need to be here since it was Stiles.”

They were staking out local nightclubs, looking for whatever had been attacking people in the past couple months. All had been drugged with something that nobody could identify, and had woken up with at least one organ missing. It seemed random every time, with both the victims and the missing body parts. There hadn’t been any deaths yet, but you could never be too careful in Beacon Hills.

“Yeah, well, last time Parrish was bait he was off duty for a week. Don’t blame me for wanting to protect my officers.”

Scott shook his head as he scanned the crowd. “Shit,” Scott said.

“What?”

“I don’t see Stiles anywhere. Do you?”

The Sheriff turned back to the crowd, straining his neck as he tried to see over the mob of people. “No.”

Scott pulled out his phone. “Kira, do you still have eyes on Stiles?”

The Sheriff couldn’t hear what they had said, but the look on Scott’s face as he ended the call let him know it wasn’t good.

“Can’t you just sniff him out?” the Sheriff asked tensely.

Scott shook his head. “There are way too many smells in here. I would never be able to-”

Liam approached the group then. “I can’t see or hear anything in here,” he said, clearly starting to get anxious.

“We need to fan out and-”

“What’s going on?” Derek asked, suddenly appearing behind them. “Kira called and told me to come in.”

“Lost sight of Stiles,” Scott said. The Sheriff watched Derek curiously as he closed his eyes and slightly tilted his head. “Last time Kira saw him he was over by the bar talking to-”

Derek’s eyes snapped open. “This way,” he interrupted, taking off into the crowd.

The Sheriff shot Scott a questioning glance, but Scott was too busy trying not to lose Derek in the horde of people. They all raced after him, trying to keep up with his pace.

It was a seedy bar, with private rooms lining the back wall that were sectioned off by thick curtains. There were at least a dozen of them, but Derek walked right up to one and tore back the curtains, revealing Stiles and an extremely confused woman in her early twenties. She had a syringe in one hand and a phone in the other.

Scott took one look at the woman and turned to the Sheriff. “She is human,” he whispered.

Derek took a step towards Stiles, but the woman pulled out a gun. “Stay back,” she said unsteadily. “I work for Jolly Stano-”

“Mob boss from another county,” the Sheriff whispered back.

“-and he wouldn’t be too happy if you laid a hand on me.”

Derek ignored the gun, walking past her towards Stiles. He was sitting on the lone sofa in the room, tightly gripping the armrest. His eyes were heavily dilated and he was covered in sweat.

“Hey,” the woman said, waving the gun in Derek’s face. “Did you not just hear me? I said-”

The Sheriff tackled the woman before she could take another step and put her in handcuffs. “Ow, ow, oww,” she whined. “Watch the merchandise!”

“What did you do to him?” Derek growled out.

“Relax, it’s just a simple tranquilizer,” she said. “I don’t know why he had such a bad reaction to it.”

“When will it wear off,” Scott asked aggressively.

“I don’t know, a couple hours, tops?”

“Stiles can you hear me?” Derek asked, reaching his hands up carefully so Stiles could look him in the eye. Stiles nodded slightly, but he had a panicked look on his face. “You need to try and breathe Stiles. Breathe. Your heart is beating way too quickly.”

The Sheriff’s head snapped up. Even through all of the noise and smells in the club, Derek had been able to find Stiles immediately. He had watched Derek close his eyes and turn his head like was listening for-

“Really…difficult…to take…full breaths,” Stiles finally managed to say. “Not…supernatural…I guess.”

“Yeah,” Derek said with a shaky laugh. “I always forget humans are just as terrible as everything else.”

The Sheriff just stared at Derek. No wonder the kid had looked so uncomfortable when he had been questioning him earlier that week.

“Still…mad…at me?” Stiles asked Derek.

Derek shook his head. “I’m not mad at you, you idiot.”

“Do I get a phone call?” the woman asked, dragging the Sheriff’s attention away.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, pulling her out of the room.


	4. Kira/Malia/Liam

“Alright, alright, last question for this quiz Derek: Your idea of the perfect date,” Kira read from the magazine. “A) A daytrip to the beach, B) A romantic picnic, C) Watching a movie, or D) Going to the amusement park?”

“An amusement park,” Malia said confidently. “Derek would want to do something adrenaline filled.”

“No way,” Kira said. “Do you remember the last time we all went to the beach? We couldn’t convince Derek to come out of the water until we had to head home. And even that took twenty minutes of heavy negotiation.”

Malia and Kira looked at Liam. “Umm…I don’t know, a romantic picnic,” Liam said, gesturing to where Derek was cooking in the kitchen. “Derek is a really good chef so he would want the opportunity to show off.”

Derek laughed. “You are all wrong. Again,” he said. “It would be watching a movie.”

“Boo!” Malia yelled, flopping back onto the couch in defeat. Liam shook his head in agreement, but Kira wasn’t backing down, even as she circled his answer.

“You’re telling me you would rather go sit in a movie theater than go to the beach?” Kira asked skeptically.

“Well, I would technically rather stay home and watch a movie or show so that we could talk during it. And so I could cook for them,” Derek said, laughing again as Liam groaned.

Kira narrowed her eyes, irritated that she had lost the point. She was about to say something else when her phone rang. Distracted for the moment, she looked down. “It’s Stiles,” she said. “He wants to make sure it’s still okay for him to come over.”

Derek sighed. “You can come in,” he yelled.

“Thank goodness,” Stiles said as he strolled in through the front door. “Because that would have been awkward.” After immediately getting sent out of the kitchen for trying to steal food, Stiles plopped down next to Kira on the couch and threw his feet over Liam’s lap. “So what are you guys doing?”

“Finding out whether Derek should cut his hair or let it grow out,” Malia said with a snort.

Stiles looked around in confusion. “What?”

“We thought it would be funny to make Derek take a bunch of quizzes,” Kira explained, holding up the magazine. “Although, it sort of became a competition on who could guess the correct answer.”

Stiles spun around on the couch to glare at Derek. “So they get to ask you stupid questions but I’m not?”

Derek rolled his eyes, refusing to dignify Stiles with a response.

“So who is winning?” Stiles asked.

“Me and Malia are tied,” Kira said. “But Liam is only two points behind.”

Stiles smiled, a determined look in his eye. “Well don’t let me interrupt.”

***

Stiles ended up winning by a landslide.

“Ha!” Stiles shouted. “So what is my prize?”

“Your prize?” Liam asked.

“We were playing for bragging rights,” Malia said.

“No,” Stiles said candidly. “I deserve a prize after completely wiping the floor with all of you.”

“What did you have in mind?” Kira laughed.

“I’m glad you asked,” Stiles said as he rubbed his hands together gleefully. “I think it is only appropriate that I get to ask one, _teeny_ , _tiny_ , judgement free question.”

“No,” Derek said.

“Oh come on Derek,” Stiles whined. “Please?”

“No.”

“Pleeeeease?”

“No.”

“Pleeeeeeeee-”

“Holy crap Derek,” Malia snapped. “He won’t shut up, so just let him ask it. It’s not like you actually have to answer.”

“I feel like if you don't answer it though, you're kind of answering it, you know?” Stiles said.

“Are you seriously quoting _Winter Soldier_?”

“Oh come on! Of course I am! It fits so perfectly!” Stiles exclaimed. “Plus, it is kind of relevant to the question.”

“Fine,” Derek said with a sigh. “Just ask the question already.”

“Okay,” Stiles said, taking a dramatically deep breathe. “Did you, Derek Hale, cry when we were watching _S.H.I.E.L.D._?”

Derek gave Stiles a blank look for a few seconds before he turned back to the stove. “You’re an idiot.”

“And you’re avoiding the question,” Stiles countered.

“Such a dumb question,” Derek mumbled.

“Not a dumb question,” Stiles said. “You are always surprisingly quiet during any angsty scene with Fitzsimmons and-”

“-I don’t even know why you care-”

“-I cried too, so it’s not like your manhood is at stake-”

“-can’t believe you would waste your question on something so-”

“-and their relationship is just so perfect, with the transition from friends to possibly something mor-”

“Okay, yes Stiles! I cried,” Derek finally said in exasperation. “Are you happy now?”

“No, not happy,” Stiles said with a smile on his face. “Just satisfied. I _told_ you that you would love _S.H.I.E.L.D._ But you were all like ‘No Stiles, I don’t have time Stiles-”

“I didn’t have time! You made me watch the entire-”

“Made you? I made you?!” Stiles huffed. “If I remember correctly, you made us watch the movies in between the corresponding episodes.”

“That is the correct way to watch them!” Derek said.

“But it doesn’t add anything new to the show! We could have watched three episodes instead of re-watching _Thor_!”

Kira, Malia, and Liam were just staring at the two of them, staying quiet as they watched the bickering continue. Liam pulled out his phone, most likely texting Scott to see how much longer he was going to be. Malia turned on the TV, knowing that, no matter what the volume was at, Stiles and Derek wouldn’t be bothered.

Kira grabbed one of the magazines next to her and opened it to a random page. As ridiculous as the quizzes were, she did enjoy reading the articles. After flipping a couple of pages, she came across the quiz they had just finished when Stiles had arrived. As she reread the questions, Kira started to laugh.

Malia and Liam glanced over, giving her a curious look. She turned the page towards them, knowing they would be able to read it from where they were sitting. Both Malia and Liam started to laugh as well, Kira shaking her head as they all went back to their own activities. She looked at the question one more time before she moved on to the next article.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I shamelessly pushed Fitzsimmons in this chapter. But I really needed it after everything that has been happening in the show lately.


	5. Scott

“Come on Derek,” Scott pleaded. “There is no way I am getting any sleep on that couch.”

“Then go home.”

“That would be a waste of time.”

“Then sleep on the couch.”

“You aren’t even using it!” Scott tried to reason. “Give me one good reason why you refuse to let me use your bed.”

“I don’t want you getting your scent all over my room,” Derek said.

Scott threw his hands up in exasperation. “Oh my gosh. Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously,” Derek said. “Why does everyone keep forgetting that _I cannot lie_?”

“But you let Stiles and Lydia in there all the time.”

“That’s because all of the research books are in there,” Derek said. “And they are in there for only a couple of minutes, tops. I don’t mind my house smelling like pack, but I would prefer my room to be more…exclusive. That’s why the door is always shut.”

Scott was not willing to give up. “I’ll open the window.”

“No.”

“I’ll wash your sheets afterwards.”

“No.”

“I’ll buy you _new_ sheets.”

“For the love of,” Derek muttered. “Fine, go. Take your stupid nap in my bed if it is that important to you!”

“Thank you!” Scott said, almost sprinting out of the room.

“You owe me new sheets!” Derek shouted after him.

***

“Why does it always come to this?” Parrish asked, shaking his head as he watched the pack singing along to the karaoke machine.

“Well, it isn’t really karaoke night until someone sings Journey,” Derek laughed.

“Come on,” Kira shouted at Derek and Parrish, the only two who hadn’t joined in yet. “I know you know the lyrics!”

Derek shook his head. “I have a hard time singing right now.”

Scott made a sympathetic face. “Your voice that bad?” he teased.

“Shut up,” Derek laughed. “No, I can only sing a few phrases at a time.”

“Because of the spell?” Lydia asked attentively, having paused the song.

“Yeah,” Derek nodded. “It is weird, but I guess it makes sense. I haven’t actually seen someone in a smoky room that smells like wine and cheap perfume.”

“That…is super weird to think about,” Malia said.

“Tell me about it,” Derek chuckled. “When I am bored I will put my music on random and see how much of a song I can actually sing.”

“Whelp,” Kira said. “I guess we know what we are doing for the rest of the night!”

***

By the time it was two in the morning, most people were either already home or getting ready to head that way. Stiles, who had worked a ten hour shift before coming over, had fallen asleep on the couch sometime between Pictionary and whatever movie Liam had brought over.

As Scott was about to wake Stiles up and offer him a ride home, Derek stopped him.

“Don’t wake him up,” Derek said quietly. “He can spend the night.”

Scott nodded.

“Thanks for having everyone over,” Kira whispered, giving Derek a kiss on the cheek. “We will do it at our place next time.”

“No problem,” Derek smiled sleepily. “I’ll see you guys later.”

Scott and Kira had already made it down to their car before Scott realized he had left his cell phone upstairs.

Unfortunately the door was already locked when he ran back up and Kira was the one who kept the spare key to Derek’s loft. Not wanting to knock and risk waking Stiles up, Scott was about to head back down to the car when he realized he didn’t hear a heartbeat coming from the living room.

Scott strained his ears slightly, hearing a heartbeat coming from Derek’s room and another in the bathroom. Assuming Stiles had woken up and headed to the bathroom, Scott contemplated waiting for him to come out before he knocked or knocking now since he didn’t have to worry about waking him up. But, after a half a minute of standing around, Scott heard music drifting from the bathroom as the shower turned on. Standing in the hallway, confused as to why Stiles would be taking a shower, Scott heard Derek start singing softly.

“ _Don’t wanna call you in the nighttime, don’t wanna give you all my pieces,”_ Derek sang.

Scott’s brow furrowed in confusion, quickly realizing that Derek was the one in the bathroom.

_Don’t wanna hand you all my trouble, don’t wanna give you all my demons,”_

Scott didn’t recognize the song, but he understood the lyrics just fine.

“ _You’ll have to watch me struggle, from several rooms away. But tonight, I need you to stay_.”

Scott spun around, deciding he could wait until tomorrow to get his phone back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is "The Run and Go" by Twenty One Pilots. I highly suggest listening to them.
> 
> I will post the last chapter tomorrow. It is almost the same length as the first four chapters all together which, like I said at the start, turned out a lot longer than I expected. Stay tuned!


	6. +1 Stiles

Stiles woke up slowly, surrounded by the warm smell of Derek. He smiled as he burrowed deeper into the covers, reveling in how soft the sheets were. Stiles unconsciously reached out to the other side of the bed, searching for Derek. But when his hands encountered nothing but emptiness, Stiles froze, adrenaline forcing him to jump out of the bed.

He stood there, staring at the rumpled sheets that were now most likely covered in his scent. Stiles shook his head, vividly remembered spending an entire day with Scott as they went store to store trying to find sheets for Derek.

_‘Which he isn’t even using!_ ’ Stiles thought murderously as he made his way into the living room. Derek was lying on the couch, wearing only a pair of lounge pants with a blanket draped haphazardly across his stomach.

Stiles stood glaring at him for a couple of seconds before he went into the kitchen to make coffee. It wasn’t long before he heard Derek pad into the kitchen, thankfully wearing a shirt.

“Good morning,” Derek said carefully, sensing Stiles’ mood. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Did I sleep okay?” Stiles snorted. “Yes, I slept marvelously on your big, comfy bed.”

“I’m sensing sarcasm,” Derek said as he grabbed a mug. “Was it not big and comfy?”

Stiles narrowed his eyes. “You know damn well that your bed is the pinnacle of perfection.”

Derek laughed as he shooed Stiles out of the kitchen so he could make them breakfast. “Then what is the problem?”

“I would have been fine sleeping on the couch,” Stiles said as he sunk down into said couch. “But no, now I have to spend my day off trying to find you new sheets.”

“And why do I need new sheets?” Derek asked, a mildly concerned look on his face. “Did you do something to them?”

“What? No, I didn’t do anything to them.”

There was a long pause from the kitchen. “Then why do I need new sheets?”

“Because…” Stiles said. “You…you are so particular about your room! You made Scott buy brand new sheets when he slept in there! And that was only for two hours! I was in there all night, getting my drool all over your pillows and-”

Stiles heard a crash from the kitchen and looked up to see a flushed Derek picking up a bowl he had dropped.  He stood up and cleared his throat. “Right, well,” Derek said. “I mainly made Scott get those sheets so he would be less inclined to take a nap in my room again. You don’t have to buy me new sheets.”

Stiles stared blankly at him, not believing he was getting off the hook so easily. “So should I just wash the sheets or-”

“No!” Derek said, a little too quickly. “I mean no, you don’t have to do that. Especially since it is your day off. Eggs?” he asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

“Yes?” Stiles said slowly, still staring at Derek suspiciously. He was confused by Derek’s behavior, but if he didn’t have to go buy new sheets _and_ he got breakfast, then who was he to complain?

As he looked around the living room, Stiles noticed the stack of magazines Kira had left from the other week on the side table. Knowing he had some time before breakfast was ready, Stiles grabbed one and settled back into the couch.

“Do you have any plans today?” Derek asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

“Just lunch with Lydia,” Stiles answered distractedly. He had been flipping through the magazine, reading an article here and there. He had recognized most of the quizzes he had come across, but he had just found one they must have done before he had arrived. Curiosity getting the better of him, he started to read. “Why?”

“I have to pop in to work today and run a few errands, but I am free tonight. Do you want to do something?”

“Did you have anything in mind?”

“I don’t know,” Derek said over the sound of sizzling bacon. “We could go see a movie?”

“Yeah, that sounds…” his voice trailing off as he read the answer to the last question on the page.

“Stiles?”

His head snapped up, realizing he hadn’t really answered Derek’s question. But before he could even open his mouth, Derek’s phone started to ring.

“Hey Melissa,” Derek said warmly.

While Derek was distracted, Stiles took the opportunity to continue his mild freak out.

_‘Just a coincidence,’_ Stiles thought to himself, looking at the answer that was boldly circled. _‘There is no reason to get your hopes up. Everyone loves watching movies. And it isn’t limited to dates. I go to the movies all the time with Scott. It doesn’t mean Derek likes you like th-’_

“Stiles!” Derek said in a way that let him know this wasn’t the first time he had called his name.

“Yeah?”

“Melissa needs someone to come pick her up from the hospital. I would but I have to-”

“I’ll go,” Stiles practically shouted, standing up quickly and grabbing his jacket, thankful for the interruption. There was a phone on the table that he assumed was his, so he threw it in his pocket.

“Don’t you want breakfast?” Derek asked, seeing that Stiles was ready to run out the door.

“Don’t want to leave Melissa waiting,” Stiles said as he struggled into his shoes. He paused at the front door and looked over at Derek self-consciously. “I’ll...see you later tonight?”

“Of course,” Derek said with a smile that made Stiles’ heart swell in his chest. He quickly left before he could do anything embarrassing.

***

Stiles popped his head into the breakroom on the second floor of the hospital. There was a small group of nurses sitting at one of the tables.

“Can we help you?” one of the nurses asked politely.

“Yeah, I am looking for-”

“Stiles!” Melissa said, having spotted him from the hallway. “I’m surprised you got here so quickly.”

“I was at Derek’s when you called,” Stiles explained, ignoring the interested looks that had garnered from the group of nurses.

“Why were you at Derek’s?” Melissa asked, and then waved her hands. “Never mind. I hate to ask you this since you rushed down here-”

“Didn’t even get to eat breakfast,” Stiles complained jokingly. “And you know how great of a cook Derek is.”

Melissa shook her head at Stiles’ interruption. “-but I have to do a few things before I head out. Could you wait a couple more minutes?”

“Of course,” Stiles said with a wave as he sat down at the table with the nurses. “What kind of son would I be if I didn’t?”

“Thank you. When I called Derek I hadn’t realized he had to work today. I’m just glad you were there so I didn’t have to- Why are you wearing your glasses?” Melissa asked suddenly.

“Oh yeah,” Stiles said, not realizing they were still on. As he took them off, he saw a couple of the nurses elbowing each other as another one indiscreetly pointed at his face. “I have been getting headaches lately. I was hoping wearing them might help.”

“You really need to go see an actual doctor, sweetie. You can’t keep using cheap dollar store glasses,” Melissa said.

“I know,” Stiles said. “I will make an appointment soon.”

“Alright,” Melissa said with a smile. “Just give me a couple of minutes.”

After Melissa had left, Stiles sat down next to the nurses, knowing that walking away would be rude. But as soon as his butt touched his seat, one of the nurses blurted out, “So you’re Derek’s boyfriend!”

“What?” Stiles said, sheer surprise making him laugh.

“He talks about you all the time,” another nurse said.

“He talks about me?” Stiles questioned.

“Well, he has never used your name,” the nurse closest to him said. “But that makes total sense now that we know your Melissa’s son!”

“Does she not know that you guys are dating?” the bright blonde one said. “She seemed surprised that you were over at his place.”

“I think you have me confused for-” Stiles tried to say.

“He is always talking about how great you are,” she continued, interrupting Stiles. “That you have the same taste in shows and that he could talk to you for hours.”

“Well that could be anyone,” Stiles said, trying desperately for the second time that morning to not get his hopes up.

“You know we won’t tell Melissa if it is a secret,” the one closest to him said. “You don’t have to lie to us.”

"Well, obviously Derek likes to keep his love life a mystery," Stiles goaded, once again feeling the strong pull of curiosity getting the better of him. “How do you know he is talking about _me_?”

“Because of your nose,” the brunette said simply as she tapped her own nose.

“My nose?” Stiles repeated.

“Yeah, when did he tell us that story? Wasn’t it a couple weeks ago when he was trying to cheer Tara up?” the one across from Stiles asked.

“Yeah,” the nurse next to her said. “He said he really loves the mark you get when you wear your glasses for too long.”

“Mark? What mark?” Stiles asked. He stood up to go look at himself in the mirror and, sure enough, there was a faint red mark on the bridge of his nose. “What the-”

***

Stiles drove Melissa home on autopilot, too wrapped up on the thoughts running through his head to hold a conversation with her.

“Stiles,” Melissa said. “Why don’t you come inside for some breakfast.”

Stiles shook his head, but a quick glance at Melissa’s face let him know it wasn’t a question. So Stiles begrudgingly put the car in park.

Unfortunately for Stiles, Melissa’s idea of breakfast was a bowl of cereal so he didn’t have a lot of time to figure out what he was going to say.

“So,” Melissa said with the clap of her hands.

“So…,” Stiles dragged out.

“Stiles,” she said. “Are you going to tell me what is going on? You know you can talk to me. I won’t judge.”

“It’s just,” Stiles sighed. “It’s nothing.”

“Obviously it’s not.” Stiles could feel her gaze as he carefully studied the outside of his bowl. When he finally decided to look up, the concern in her face made his resolve crack.

“It’s just…,” Stiles said, not knowing how to explain himself. “There are a few things that have happened with Derek that I don’t really know how to handle and I don’t want to read too much into it.”

“Are you talking about what happened at the club?” the Sheriff said as he walked through the door, startling both Stiles and Melissa. “Because I can assure you that you are not reading too much into it. I have been watching him and I am pretty sure he hasn’t memorized anyone else’s heartbeat.”

“What are you talking about?” Stiles asked after the initial shock of his dad’s arrival subsided.

“We had talked about it a few weeks ago and he made it pretty clear that only happens with loved ones,” the Sheriff said as he walked over to give Melissa a kiss on the check. “So, no, I don’t think you are reading too much into it.”

“I…my heartbeat…what?” Stiles asked in a flat voice.

Realizing that Stiles was surprised by this bit of information, the Sheriff stopped and looked at his son.

“I…umm…,” he said, glancing to Melissa for support. “What were you talking about?”

“I was talking about the nurses thinking I am Derek’s boyfriend!” Stiles exclaimed as he snapped out of his stupor. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“They think you are dating Derek?” Melissa asked. “Why would they- Oh. It’s because of the glasses, huh?”

“I…yes!” Stiles shouted, confused by everything he was hearing. “How did you know about that?”

“I overheard him telling them about it,” Melissa said, looking sheepish. “But I didn’t know for sure that he was talking about you.”

“But you suspected he was?” Melissa didn’t say anything, which told Stiles his answer. “Why didn’t you tell me!?”

“I don’t know,” Melissa defended. “It seemed wrong since he hadn’t actually told me. Not to mention that repeating anything he says while under that truth spell seems a little…wrong. Like he is being forced to answer even though I know he isn’t.”

Stiles deflated at that, knowing that she was right. But then he turned on his dad. “So what is all this about Derek having memorized my heartbeat?” he asked. “And why did you mention the club?”

“Like Melissa said, it seems like taking advantage of-”

“Dad,” Stiles said threateningly. “Will you please just tell me what happened? This is important!”

“Okay, fine,” the Sheriff sighed. “Do you remember that night at the club a couple weeks ago?”

“Yeah, it was kind of hard to forget, what with that she-devil tranquilizing me,” Stiles said cynically.

“Right, well, since the crowd had been so thick that night at the club and that woman had taken you to the back into one of the rooms, we had lost sight of you,” the Sheriff explained. “None of the wolves could hear or smell anything because of the crowd and the last place we had seen you had been when you were at the bar.”

“But you guys did find me,” Stiles said, trying to figure out where his dad was going with this. “Almost immediately.”

“Because Kira called Derek inside,” the Sheriff said. “It took him less than a second to figure out where you were before he took off running in your direction.”

“That’s impossible,” Stiles said. “The music was so loud. There is no way-”

“Stiles, I know what I saw,” his dad said gently. “And what I saw was that boy find you in the middle of a crowded room just by closing his eyes.”

“He’s probably memorized everyone’s heartbeat,” Stiles said as he shook his head, trying to provide a rational explanation. “Right?”

Melissa shook her head with a laugh. “How many times has Scott been able to sneak up behind Derek and scare him?”

“More times than I can count,” Stiles said.

“And how many times have you been able to sneak up on him?”

“Well, never,” Stiles contemplated. “But I always thought it was because I was clumsy.”

“Let me ask one more question,” Melissa said. “How many times have you been able to sneak up on Scott?”

When Stiles stayed silent, the Sheriff said, “You can keep making excuse until you're blue in the face, son. But at the end of the day you’re just going to have to face the facts. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, third time is-”

“A pattern,” Stiles finished, a huge smile on his face. “Do you think- I mean, should I-”

“You can start by talking to him,” Melissa suggested.

“You’re right. I will-” Stiles started to say, before the ringtone Scott has for Kira started going off in his pocket. Confused, he pulled out Scott’s phone and answered. “Hello?”

“Where are you?” Scott asked in lieu of a greeting.

“I’m over at our parent’s house,” Stiles said. “Why? Where are you?”

“I’m at Derek’s,” Scott said. “Why did you take my phone?”

Stiles closed his eyes, making the obvious connection that it had been Scott’s phone on the table, not his. “I was in kind of a hurry to get out of there this morning. I must have grabbed it on accident.”

“Why?” Scott asked, the question laced with concern. “Did you and Derek get in a fight?”

“What? No. Why would you think that?”

“Well, when I tried to get my phone last night I noticed you were in Derek’s room and I figured…never mind, it doesn’t matter. I’m just glad you’re not fighting,” Scott said. “How long are you staying there? We can swing by and pick it up.”

Stiles looked at the clock. “I have to meet Lydia for lunch soon. Would it be okay if I left it here?”

“Yeah that's fine,” Scott said.

Stiles was about to hang up when he heard Scott shout, “Wait! I have to tell you something!”

Stiles paused. “What’s up?”

“I,” Scott said, his voice filled with seriousness. “I think Derek likes you.”

Stiles couldn’t help the grin that split his face. “Why do you say that?” he asked.

“Well, for starters, he let you sleep in his bed,” Scott said earnestly. “He never lets _anyone_ go in his room, let alone sleep in his bed. And second, when I went back to get my phone last night, he was singing this song and it was- Wait, why are you laughing?”

Stiles had tried not to, but he couldn’t help himself. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just, I know!”

“You know?”

“And I’m going to ask him out. Tonight hopefully,” Stiles said the smile never leaving his face.

***

“You know, don’ t you?” Stiles asked the minute he saw Lydia’s smirk.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said.

“Kira called you, didn’t she?” Stiles asked, shaking his head as he slid into the chair across from her.

“I didn’t need Kira to tell me. Only an idiot wouldn’t be able to see how far gone he is on you,” Lydia said, earning a frown from Stiles. “All it took was that inane spell to give me the proof I needed.”

“Which you decided to not share with me, why?” Stiles asked.

“I wanted to see how long it would take _you_ to figure it out,” Lydia answered with a laugh.

“You know why Scott is my best friend?” Stiles asked coolly, looking at Lydia through narrowed eyes. “It’s because when he found out, he told me right away! Melissa has known for like three weeks, and my dad has known for at least as long. And you! You’ve known since the very beginning, haven’t you?!”

Lydia shrugged. “Well, you know now, right? And that’s all that matters,” she said matter-of-factly. She threw her hair behind her shoulder as she leaned in. “So how are you going to ask him?”

***

Stiles had gone over what he was going to say a million times as he paced the living room in Derek’s loft. He was clutching the magazine to his chest as he moved around, treating it like physical proof of Derek’s returned affections. But regardless of what all of his friends had said, there was still a lingering spark of doubt that was slowly being fueled into a roaring fire the longer it took for Derek to come home.

He was so lost in thought that, when Derek finally did come home, he didn’t hear him.

“Hey Stiles,” Derek said as he threw his things on the kitchen table. “How was your day?”

Stiles jumped, throwing the magazine behind him onto the couch. “Hey Derek!” he said way too loudly. He shook his head as he brought his voice back under control. “How was your day?”

“My day was fine. How was _yours_?” he asked again with a chuckle.

“Good, it was…good,” Stiles said, his nerves coming back now that the shock of Derek’s arrival was over.

Thankfully, Derek was used to Stiles’ moods so he ignored him, opting to straighten up the house since he hadn’t had the chance that morning. And Stiles went right back to pacing.

“Did you still want to go see a movie tonight?” Derek asked. “I figured we could either go out to eat or I could…”

Confused as to why Derek had fallen quiet, Stiles spun around. However, Derek wasn’t looking at him.

“So this is why you left in such a hurry this morning,” Derek said quietly.

Stiles blood ran cold as he noticed the magazine that was in Derek’s hand.

“Derek-” Stiles started to say, knowing he was jumping to the wrong conclusions.

“Of all the dumb ways for you to find out,” he said, ignoring Stiles’ efforts to get his attention.

“That’s not what-”

“Please, just don’t,” Derek said, his voice sounding small as he started to walk away. “I know you’re not interested, so you don’t have to say anyth-”

Derek was already halfway to the door when Stiles blurted out, “I love watching movies with you!”

Derek stopped, which gave Stiles the courage to continue.

“I love watching movies with you. And tv shows. And stupid videos on YouTube.”

“Stiles, you don’t have to do this. I know what a rejection sounds like so can we just-”

“You know, there is a reason I was able to answer so many of these dumb questions correctly,” Stiles said as he walked around the couch and patted the stack of magazines on the side table. “I _know_ you Derek. So I know what you are thinking right now. But I don’t want you to say anything until I am done. Please.”

Derek nodded and sat down on the edge of the couch, staring at the ground instead of Stiles.

Stiles was silent as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say next. He understood where Melissa was coming from; finding out all of this information through the truth spell seemed unfair. So Stiles decided to try and even the playing field.

“Did you know that the main reason I bought my glasses was because you wanted me to watch your grandpa’s favorite movies?” Stiles said to him. “I had a hard time reading the subtitles but I loved the fact that you were sharing those movies with me and I didn’t want anything to spoil it.”

Stiles paused as he looked at Derek, who hadn’t moved since Stiles had started talking. He had hoped sharing one of his own secrets would calm Derek down, but Stiles could still see how tightly clenched Derek’s jaw was.

“I hated those two weeks where I didn’t get to see you,” Stiles said, knowing the best way to get a response from Derek was to tease him. “We didn’t get to watch any of our shows.”

“That’s the only reason?” Derek said softly, a small smile on his face.

“No,” Stiles said, catching Derek’s eyes so he didn’t think it was a joke. “I don’t think you understand just how easily you make my day. I _hated_ not being around you. I always knew that you were a big part of my life, but those first couple of days made me realize how empty I felt without you. I stayed late at work. I wouldn't leave my dad and Melissa alone-”

“Stiles-”

“-and I know that I am an asshole sometimes,” Stiles said, ignoring Derek’s attempt to interrupt with an apology. “I don’t blame you for kicking me out; I was being childish and rude. But it was because I was _scared_. I was so scared because, even though it was only a truth spell, it could have been something much worse. I could have lost you.”

Stiles finally sat down next to Derek on the couch, feeling foolish about the tears that had started to well in his eyes at the thought.

“And I don’t want to lose you Derek. Not as a friend. Not as a pack member. Not at all,” Stiles said as he rubbed his eyes. “So if I am doing anything that could ruin our friendship, please let me know because I love yo-”

Stiles let out a startled noise as strong hands drew him across the couch until he was practically sitting in Derek’s lap. His right hand had settled in the small of Stiles’ back while his other hand had come up to lightly brush the hair out of his face.

“I love you too,” Derek said, pulling Stiles down as he closed the distance between them.

Stiles’ mind had been racing all day but it wasn’t until that very moment that everything finally fell in to place. He thread his fingers though Derek’s hair and gently pulled, deepening the kiss.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours until Stiles finally pulled away, feeling Derek’s beard scrap his chin. Bright, green eyes stared into brown with unrestrained happiness, bringing a huge smile to Stiles’ face.

“So,” Stiles said, slightly out of breath. “You wanna go see a movie?”

“No,” Derek said roughly, rolling Stiles over as he switched their positions, prompting a loud moan from Stiles. “I would _much_ rather stay in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please leave me a comment if you would, I would love to know what you thought. Also, I have a [Tumblr](http://awareoftheconcept-fics.tumblr.com/) if you are interested in following.


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